Soccer holds a special place as the national sport of Mexico. With the ongoing World Cup, the enthusiasm of Mexican fans has reached new heights, leading to exuberant celebrations.
The roots of this passion trace back to a region in the mountainous terrain, around two hours northeast of Mexico City. This area, situated in Hidalgo State, saw the arrival of miners from Cornwall, England, in the early 19th century. These miners were pivotal in both salvaging and modernizing the Mexican mining industry. Importantly, they also introduced soccer to the region.
The debate on where soccer truly began in Mexico centers around two locations in what’s often called Mexico’s Little Cornwall. Mineral del Monte, a quaint town with 16,000 residents, still displays signs of its Cornish heritage. At almost 9,000 feet above sea level, this town boasts several plaques and paintings near an old silver mine at its main square, asserting its historical significance.
“Soccer in Mexico was born in a place close to the heavens: Real de Monte.”
This inscription on a painting uses an older name for the town, Real de Monte—given by Spanish colonizers. Plaques nearby suggest that the first soccer game occurred in the courtyards of Dolores Mine.
The town is also renowned for its Mexican adaptation of Cornish pasties. A leading bakery, famous for these turnovers filled with mole or beans, proudly declares Mineral del Monte as “the cradle of Mexican soccer.” An alleyway dedicated to its soccer history describes the town as “the seed and root of soccer in Mexico.” News articles over the years have echoed these claims.
Yet, opinions vary on this narrative.